Sanitary container opening device



United States Patento SANITARY CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE Frederick C. Baselt, New York, N.Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 6, 1957, Serial No. 638,538

3 Claims. (Cl. 30-10) The present invention relates to a sanitary device for opening containers holding a product and has particular reference to means for sterilizing the opening element for intermittent repeated opening operations on successive containers.

. An object of the instant invention is the provision of a sanitary container opening device having a continuously sterile opening element which prevents contamination of the container contents accumulated on the element during repeated opening operations on successive containers opened at spazed intervals over a period of time.

Another object is the provision of such a sanitary container opening device which is particularly adapted for use in connection with a dispensing machine for dispensing. carbonated beverages, milk and the like liquids in cans or containers.

Another object is the provision of such an opening device in which sterilization of the opening element is efiected by the use of an electric heating element to provide for accurate control of the sterilizing temperatures and to provide. for simplicity in device construction and its operating efliciency.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a sectional view of a sanitary container opening device embodying the instant invention, the view showing a container in place for opening; and

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views similar to portions of Fig. l, and illustrating modified forms of the invention.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention, Fig. l of the drawings discloses a sanitary container opening device having a punch A provided with a container opening element at one end thereof for producing in a container B through relative movement between the punch and the container, a dispensing opening through which the contents of the container may be poured" or otherwise dispensed. However the invention is equally well adapted to devices having cutters as opening elements for cutting out portions of a container to gain access to a product. In the form of the device shownin the drawings the container B is held stationary in an upright or on-end position with its top end exposed, on a. support pad C, and the opening element ofpunch A ispushed down by an actuating element D, into the top of the container to produce the dispensing opening.

However it is contemplated that in some cases it may be desirable to hold the punch stationary and to actuate the support pad C as a lifter plate to raise the container into opening position against the opening element of punch A.

It is further contemplated that the dispensing opening may be produced in any desired portion of the container as for example in the side wall or the bottom end of 2,916,818 Patented Dec. 15, 1959 ice thecontainer as well as its top end. Where the dispensing opening is to be produced by a piercing or cutting of a wall of the container the opening element of punch A preferably is a piercing or cutting point E. However in some cases the dispensing opening may be partially defined in the container as by a score line or other device and requires merely a displacement operation which is readily elfected by an opening element having a blunt flat end. In such cases such a blunt flat end may be provided on the punch.

In any case, where the opening element of punch A in producing the dispensing opening, moves down into the contents of the container, especially where the contents are of a liquid nature, some of the contents cling to the opening element and ride up with the punch when the latter is withdrawn after the opening operation. With repeated opening operations, as in use with a container dispensing machine or in over-the-counter sales at stores and concessions, accumulation of these small quantities of the container contents on the opening element eventually leads to bacterial contamination and other unsanitary conditions. To prevent such a condition, the opening device is provided with sterilizing means, preferably in the form of an electric heating element G which may be disposed in the punch as shown in Fig. 1, or surrounding the punch as shown in Fig. 2, or may surround a chamber in which the punch normally is disposed as shown in Fig. 3. In all cases the heating element G imparts a sterilizing heat to at least that portion of the opening element of the punch that enters the container contents during the container opening operation and thereby continuously maintains the opening element in a sterile condition and prevents contamination of the contents of the containers being opened. To facilitate this sterilizing of the opening element, the latter when not in use preferably is' confined within a cavity, chamber or housing.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. l, the punch A is a vertically disposed elongated cylindrical member 21 having an opening element at its lower end bevelled to form a piercing or cutting point E and its upper end forming an axially disposed bearing shank 22.. Intermediate its ends the punch is provided with a collar 23. The interior of the punch A preferably is hollow and contains the electric heating element G which preferably is disposed adjacent the lower pointed end of the punch for most effective sterilization of this portion of the punch. Lead wires 25, 26 connected to the heating element extend up through the center of the punch and project out through a bore 27 in the collar 23 from which they extend to any suitable source of supply of electric current controlled to produce a desired temperature in the punch. It has been found that tem- I peratures ranging .from F. to F. produce a satisfactory sterilization of the punch, although tempera tures in excess of 180 F. may be used if found necessary. A thermostat connected to the heating element G may be usedto maintain the temperature uniform and to otherwise control the temperature. By way of example, such a thermostat device is shown in the drawings as comprising a thermostat element or thermocouple 61 embedded in the piercing end of the punch A and connected by wires 62, 63 to a commercial relay unit 64 connected into the heating element circuit The punch A is mounted for vertical reciprocation in a housing 31 which is attached by a pair (only one being shown) of vertical support webs 32 to the support base C on which a container B is placed for opening. The housing 31 is spaced above the support base C a distance slightly greater than the height of the container B to facilitate ready insertion of the container into opening position under the punch A. A locating lug 34 on the support base C provides for proper location of the container.

In the housing 31, the lower portion of the punch A is slideably disposed in a vertical tubular cavity of a bottom wall of the housing 31.

The bearing shank 22 at the upper. end ofithe punchzA is slideably disposed in a bearing 39 formed in'the: top of the housing 31 in axial alignment with the .lower tubular cavity of bearing 36. A key'41 in the. shank 22 slides in a keyway in the bearing 39 andv thus prevents rotation of the punch A in its bearings;

The lower cutting end E of the punch A is disposed within the tubular cavity of bearing'36 so as to' be in a. protected position when not in use and shielded asmuch as possible from the outside atmosphere to prevent any contamination therefrom. Preferably this cutting end B of the punch as shown in Fig. 1 is held in a retracted position within the tubular cavity of bearing 36-so that the heat from the sterilizing element G excludesnthe atmosphere from the open end of the bearing cavity. In order to hold the punch A in this retracted positionwa compression spring 43 is disposed around the plunger in a position interposed between the collar 23 and the top of the lower bearing 36. This spring 43 presses the collar 23 upwardly against the inner face of thetop'wall of the housing 31 which serves as alocating stop for the plunger.

Actuation of the punch A preferably is effected by a handle 45 which extends over the top of the bearing shank 22 on the upper end of the punch. One end of the handle 45 is mounted on a pivot pin 46 carried in the support webs 32 of the device. Intermediate its ends, the

handle 45 preferably is provided with a freely rotatable antifriction ball 48 which is located for engagement against the top end of the bearing shank 22 as shown in Fig. 1. The ball 48 is housed in a retainer 'plug 49 threadedly secured in the handle.

By pressing down on the free end of the handle 45, the punch A is forced down against the resistance of its spring 43, and the opening element is'pushed through the top end of a container B positioned under the punch to produce the dispensing opening therein as described above. After such an opening operation, the handle 45 is released and the spring 43 returns the handle to its original position. A stop lug 51 on the handle 45 is provided for engagement against a cooperating stop lug 52 on the vertical webs 32 of the device to limit the upward travel of the handle.

In a modified form of the invention, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the electric heating element G is located in a position surrounding the punch A instead of being located within the punch as shown in Fig. 1. In this modified form of the invention the electric heating element G preferably is a coil embedded or otherwise disposed in the bearing member 37 surrounding the punch A in close proximity thereto. The electric lead wires 25, 26 connecting the coil with the source of electric current extend through a channel 55 formed in the bearing member.

In a further modified form of the invention as disclosed in Fig. 3 a sterilizing chamber 57 is provided around the lower end of the punch A particularly in the region of the point B of the punch when the punch is in .4 its normal retracted position. This chamber 57 provides for a space or gap around the portion of the punch, to be sterilized. The space may be produced by a reduction of the diametrical dimension of the lower end of the punch A as shown in Fig. 3 or by an increase in the internal diametrical dimension of the lower end portion of the punch bearing cavity as shown in Fig. 4. This sterilizing chamber is surrounded by a coil constituting the electric heating element G connected by the lead wires 25, 26 to the source of electric current.

in mi forms of the invention the heating element G sterilizes the opening element at one end of punch A, preferably while this end of the punch is disposed in an enclosure and thereby maintains the opening element of the punch in a sanitary condition for repeated use on containers opened in successive order over short or long periods of time indiscriminately.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will beunderstood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be.-

made in the form, construction and arrangement .of the parts without departing from. the spirit .and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages,

the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A sanitarydevice for openinga container holdinga product, comprising in combination a sheath having a substantially vertical tubular cavity formed therein, a punch having a transverse conformation and size substantially the same as that ofsaid cavity and mounted for.

reciprocation therein, said punch having acontainer opening element at one thereof normally fully withdrawn into said sheath and confined by the walls of said tubular.

cavity, means for reciprocating said punch to. move said opening element out of said sheath toward a said container foropening a wall thereof to release .the. product therein and 'for returning said punch and its openingelement to said. retractedposition, and heating means effective on.

said punch for sterilizing said punch :and maintaining it in'iarsanitary condition for contact with said container and product during each container opening operation.

2. .A sanitary device of the character defined in claim 1 wherein said heating means in provided with a thermostatic control device having a thermocouple embedded .in said punch for controlling thesterilizing temperature. of the. punch.

3.".A sanitary device of the character defined in claim. 1 wherein said mounting. of the punch for reciprocation:

includes an extended surfacefor sliding contact between the punch and cavity walls whereby-heatstored in-the sheath is transferred thereform to the punch when. the latter. is retracted into the sheath after being. subjected to .the. cooling effect of a said opening operation References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

